Race-course for horses



(No Model.) H. S. BUTLER.

RACE COURSE FOR HORSES.

No. 483,600. Patented Oct. 4, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY S. BUTLER, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

RACE-COURSE FOR HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,600, dated October 4, 1892.

Application filed April 2, 1892. Serial No. 427,578. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a Race-Course for Horses, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to facilitate the action and speed of a horse by providing a track that has a downgrade, but no upgrade. On a level track a horse when hitched to a snlky must pull the vehicle, and the weight of the vehicle and driver is a hinderance to his action and speed. On a track that has a downgrade and a corresponding ascending grade the time gained on the descent is lost on the ascent of the course.

My invention consists in the construction of a race-con rse track, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a birds-eye view of a continuous race-course in which there is a descending grade from the starting-point to the end of the home-stretch. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same track, taken from a point on a level with the track. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a modified form of continuous track in which the grade descends all the way from the starting-point to the end of the mile or half-mile or entire distance that is to be traversed in a race.

In Figs. 1 and 2 it is clearly shown that the starting-point A is elevated and that there is a gradual descent from that point to the ending point B, and that an arch 0 allows the track to be continued to produce an upgrade upon which a horse can ascend to reach the starting-point again.

A dotted line along the top of Fig. 2 indicates that a part of the track may be level and the remainder a downgrade.

In Fig. 3 the j udges standislocated between the starting-point A and the end B. A branch or section of the continuous track extends from the terminus B and intersects the firstquarter section of the course and has an upgrade that allows a horse to advance and ascend and gather and turn about to regain the starting-point A by advancing on a branch or section that extends from the home-stretch.

section to the end of the course to the elevated starting-point A.

I claim as my invention- 1. A race-course having a descending grade and a track connection between the startingpoint and the terminus, adapted to be traversed by a horse before starting over the course and also after passing the terminus of the course, for the purposes stated.

2. A race-course having an elevated starting-point, a circuitous track, and descending grade terminating at the starting-point, an arch at the intersection, and a continuation of the track in the form of a loop that has an ascending grade and terminates on top of the arch and at the starting-point, for the purposes stated.

HENRY S. BUTLER. Witnesses:

MAUDE BUTLER, THOMAS G. ORWIG. 

